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David Levin: The myths of welfare

Posted:
01/24/2013 01:00:00 AM MST

Regarding the Camera's Sunday, Jan. 20, article on poverty.

I was a caseworker in Harlem for the New York City Department of Social Services. There are many myths relating to welfare. One of the main ones is that welfare mothers have more children to make money. There are many reasons for more children, but this is not one of them because no public assistance agency pays enough for additional children to make it a money-making proposition.

Another great myth is that welfare people are having a good old time collecting money and doing nothing--the reality is that they live a fearful, poverty-stricken existence, especially in the big cities, because public assistance, at best, gives just enough to barely survive.

In a wealthy, highly competitive capitalist society such as ours, it is incumbent upon us to provide for those who fall by the wayside. After all, how many of us would do as well as we have if we had not had the advantages of family, community, education and race?

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